Interview: CPC's dedication inspires Chinese to achieve more, says Sri Lanka's parliament speaker

The "conviction, commitment and sacrifice" of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has led to China's success in eradicating poverty, Sri Lanka's Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana has said.

"It's amazing the development you see if you go inside the country," especially in rural areas, said Abeywardana in an interview with Xinhua.

Having visited China several times over more than three decades, Abeywardana said the example set by the CPC has inspired the Chinese people to action.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, more than 800 million people have been lifted out of poverty, representing over 70 percent of global poverty reduction.

Notably, over the past eight years, the final 98.99 million of impoverished rural residents living under the current poverty line have been lifted above it, according to the Chinese government.

Sri Lanka and China have long-standing bonds of friendship, the speaker said. He called for more dialogue with his Chinese counterparts as well as more frequent visits to China by Sri Lankan policymakers to learn from China's development success.

Sri Lanka-China development projects have been formulated on a win-win basis, Abeywardana said, adding that Port City Colombo, a flagship Belt and Road project, is the biggest investment in the country's history and its land reclamation has expanded the country's geography.

"I believe very soon there will be huge investment coming into Sri Lanka that will be a big economic boost," he said.